From the team that first activated Net Promoter Scores or NPS®
The team that conceived of and created the first version of the Alchemer Activated VoC (Voice of the Customer) Solution did so for one reason: to better serve their customers. However, the team’s commitment to customer service doesn’t begin and end with the Activated VoC Solution, rather it’s the solution that allows them to treat customers individually.
“How we support our customers is at the heart of our company values,” said Celeste Vaughn Gonder, Senior Manager of Customer Support. “Everybody we hire as a Support Hero has to embody three core values to even get through the process. They must have a heart for service, they need to be curious, and they must be unrelenting in finding a way to solve whatever challenge they face.”
“We build partnerships with our customers and build relationships beyond the typical customer-company relationship,” added Celeste. “We truly care about each person, what they say and think, as well as what they care about that day.”
Surprising and Delighting Customers
“Most people who leave a passive or detractor score and comment feel like nothing is going to happen,” said Taylor “Topper” Shull, Support Team Lead. “So, when they hear back from us, it’s a brand-new interaction for them. It’s a positive interaction for them, and often they tell other people about it because it’s so rare.”
“It solves the problem and helps them move forward and do something with Alchemer that they weren’t expecting to be able to do,” added Tawnee Torres, Support Team Lead. “On an NPS reply we’ll hear, ‘I didn’t expect anyone to even read this, let alone reply or provide a solution.’”
“And promoters get as much attention from us as detractors,” added Celeste. “You shouldn’t have to give us a low score to be heard.”
Activated VoC Makes It Possible
The Activated VoC Solution allows the team to take action on individual feedback to ensure every piece of customer feedback is heard. The Solution, powered by the Alchemer Platform, creates a customer support case for each Net Promoter Score (NPS) and customer comment. It does this through an out-of-the-box integration with the service-management system. The team responds to each customer, as though they had emailed in a question. Only after closing the loop with each customer is the feedback aggregated into reports to understand trends.
On top of each NPS response creating a customer support case, each Support Hero gets an immediate alert on feedback through our enterprise messaging tool, Slack. “Our Support Heroes know, right in the moment, if a customer needs assistance so they can go take action on it,” added Topper. This integration accelerates the Heroes’ ability to respond to customers in real-time.
Setting High Standards
In addition to a company-wide Net Promoter Score, the Alchemer Support Team also has their own score, which is currently above 90. “All support teams should be doing this,” said Celeste.
The Team holds itself to specific metrics.
- Emails should be answered within 5 hours
- Phone calls should be answered within 3 minutes
- The Support Team’s weekly NPS should be above 80
The reason the team measures each Support Hero’s individual NPS score is to know where help might be needed. “We are really focused on the quality of our interactions,” said Celeste. “If one of our metrics falls below our standards, we know where to focus our attention.”
“We validate the customer and their experience,” added Tawnee. “Whether they are a passive, detractor, or promoter, we reach out to them.” The team views anybody who reports less than a 9 or 10 as a detractor and consequently works hard to help each customer get what they need.
“We care about each person’s feedback, rather than looking at it only in aggregate,” added Celeste. “Because our Support Heroes can really pay attention to a single piece of feedback and truly help that customer, it changes the way they interact with customers and how they feel about their role here.”
Since each individual score adds to the cumulative score, this approach is working.
Celebrating Customer Centricity
The Alchemer Support Team is extremely collaborative and supportive, which comes from the Servant-Leadership approach exhibited by the team leads all the way up to executive management. Managers and leads know each Support Hero personally and know how to make them feel acknowledged and appreciated. “Generally, we celebrate our successes by coming together. And food!” said Celeste.
“We also have two internal awards on the Support Team – Superhero of the Quarter and Honorary Support Hero Award,” added Topper. “These are voted on by the Support Team, and the winners receive a cape and a plaque, as well as being recognized in front of the whole company while we read off the comments people share about the winner.”
Making It Easier to Provide Excellent Service
The reason the team developed the first version of the Activated VoC Solution was to make it easier for the Support Heroes to take care of customers. Taking advantage of the automation capabilities within the Alchemer solution enables the team to take personal action with a customer. “We automate behind the scenes so that we can give quick, personalized attention to the customer’s feedback,” said Celeste. “We let the systems do the work so that we can spend time taking care of our customers.”
Learn more about the Activated VoC Solution for small, midsized, and enterprise teams.
Net Promoter®, NPS®, NPS Prism®, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter Score℠ and Net Promoter System℠ are service marks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.
